IB Film Glossary- these are not all the film terms you should know but these are must knows. Citing Sources Recommended Short Films Recommended 5 minute clips for Presentation practice Websites Books Magazines Video Essays Apps Sound
IB Film Glossary
Film students should not only know these words and what they mean but should feel comfortable and confident using them when talking about a film, in their production journals, and on exams.
Natural background noise on television, film or radio. In the same manner, ambient light refers to natural, available light that is not enhanced in any way.
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All those who receive or interact with any media product. A target audience is the group of people to whom a product is particularly aimed. This may be identified as either “mass” (or mainstream) if it is targeted at a very large number of people, or “niche” if it is targeted at a smaller, more specific group of people.
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. The position of the camera in relation to the main subject. It could be a high angle, low angle, worm’s-eye view or aerial view.
The person responsible for camera and lighting. Often referred to as the “director of photography”.
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Sometimes referred to as “invisible” or “academic” editing, this is the unobtrusive style of editing developed by Hollywood that is still the basis of most commercial productions. The basis of continuity editing is to cut on action so that the whole sequence looks natural.
Diegetic sound is that which appears to come from a recognizable source within the narrative world of a film, radio or television text. Non-diegetic sound is that which appears to come from a source unconnected to the narrative world of a text. An example of non- diegetic sound would be a film musical score. Diegetic sound would be the sound of crashing waves on cliffs or birdsong, even though these may be added in post production.
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.
. The conversion of sound and visual to transmit information in a code using the numbers zero and one.
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A process whereby sound is added to film. This may take the form of adding music or additional sound to dialogue, or it may refer to the addition of an entire soundtrack, including dialogue.
The selection of material to make a coherent whole. In film and television an editor uses a variety of methods to move from one sequence to another. This is referred to as a “transition”.
The structure, or skeleton, of a text and the narrative framework around which it is based. For example, a feature film commonly has a three- act structure. Some structures are determined by a genre and its corresponding codes and conventions.
As a noun, this refers to the single area on a strip of film that holds a single image (or a single still image on video). As a verb, it means to adjust the position of the camera or to adjust the camera lens to compose the required image. An image can be framed to construct a close-up shot, long shot or medium shot.
The classification of any media text into a category or type, for example: news, horror, documentary, soap opera and so on. Genres tend to have identifiable codes and conventions that have developed over time and for which audiences may have developed particular expectations. Media texts that are a mixture of more than one genre are called “generic hybrids”.
.
. Literally, everything that is “put in the scene”, or put in the frame to be photographed (appropriate to the time and era portrayed). This usually includes production design, set, location, actors, costumes, make-up, gesture, proxemics and blocking, extras, props, use of colour, contrast and filter. Lighting is often included within mise-en-scène. Camera shot composition, framing, angle and movement are also sometimes referred to as mise-en-shot.
.
The term is taken from the French “to assemble”. It has several meanings in the context of film and is not exclusively used to refer to “Soviet Montage”. (1) It is used as a synonym for editing. (2) In Hollywood cinema it means to edit a concentrated sequence using a series of brief transitions creating the effect of the passage of time or movement over large distances or for expressionistic moods. (3) Thematic or “Soviet” montage was developed by Sergei Eisenstein by arranging striking juxtapositions of individual shots to suggest an idea that goes beyond meanings within an individual shot. He called this “collision montage”. (4) Any sequence that creates a particularly significant effect mainly through its editing. The shower scene in Psycho would be such an example.
.
.
The way in which a plot or story is told, by whom and in what order. Flashbacks, flash forwards and ellipsis may be used as narrative devices. Tsvetan Todorov, Bordwell and Thompson and Robert McKee have all presented interesting ideas about narrative development.
The period and the processes that come between the completion of principal photography and the completed film or programme. This includes the editing of a film or programme, along with titles, graphics, special effects and so on. The entire range of preparations that takes place before a film or television programme can begin shooting.
.
.Research information or data that you collect yourself. Sources for this may include interviews, questionnaires, analysis of films or television programmes that you undertake yourself. (See also secondary research.)
. Either the product itself or the actual process of filming.
.
. Research undertaken through observation, analysing texts and documents, interviews, open-ended questionnaires and case studies. It is reasoned argument that is not based upon simple statistical information. Overall, qualitative research enables researchers to study psychological, cultural and social phenomena. (See also quantitative research.)
Primarily, this is statistical data most frequently obtained from closed questions in questionnaires or structured interviews. Quantitative research may calculate how many males in the 15 to 25 years age range watch a particular television soap opera, for example, but qualitative research is necessary to determine why they watch it.
The dominant mode of representation in television, mainstream films and print. The term usually implies that the media text attempts to represent an external reality: a film or television programme is “realistic” because it gives the impression that it accurately reproduces that part of the real world to which it is referring. However, the concept is much more complex than this brief definition. One suggestion is to think of “realisms” rather than realism.
The process of making meaning in still or moving images and in words and sounds. In its simplest form, it means to present or show someone or something. However, as a concept for debate, it is used to describe the process by which an image can be used to represent or stand in for someone or something, for example, a person, place or idea. Inherent in this second definition is the notion that there may be a responsibility on the part of the producer of any representation, with regard to accuracy, “truth” and the viewpoints and opinions that such a representation may perpetuate. Representation is used to describe the manner in which segments or individuals in society (for example, women, the elderly, ethnic minorities) are portrayed in the media.
.
.
.
. Research information taken from sources other than your own work, such as academic studies, reviews or essays, whether in printed format or from other film texts such as documentaries or interviews.
.
. An oversimplified representation of people, places or issues, giving a narrow and/or exaggerated set of attributes. Stereotypes are frequently thought to be entirely negative but this is not necessarily the case.
.
. The “look” of a media text; its surface appearance. It can be recognized by the use of colour, mise-en-scène, lighting, music, camera angle, movement, framing, dialogue, editing and so on.
.
. Synchronous sound is where the sound matches the action or speech in film or television. Asynchronous sound is when there is a mismatch— the most obvious example occurs when lip-synch is out, that is, when the words spoken and the lip movement of the actor on screen do not match.
.
.
. Short film or television trailers shown before a full-length trailer.
.
. The overall impression that is given by a media text—serious, comic, romantic, sensationalist and so on.
How To Use and Cite a Source in Your Papers
Analysis of "Taxi Driver"
by
Ryan Louderback
Taxi Driver is about a man in a big city who just can't seem to connect with anyone. Roger Ebert describes it this way, "The film can be seen as a series of his failed attempts to connect, every one of them hopelessly wrong. He asks a girl out on a date, and takes her to a porno movie. He sucks up to a political candidate, and ends by alarming him. He tries to make small talk with a Secret Service agent. He wants to befriend a child prostitute, but scares her away. He is so lonely that when he asks, "Who you talkin' to?" he is addressing himself in a mirror." (Ebert, Roger. Great Movie Taxi Driver)
Je t’aime John Wayne (MacDonald, 2000) - a paradoy of French New Wave about a man who wants to be Jean-Paul Belmondo. It is a great way of teaching intertextual referencing and the stylistic features and codes and conventions of French New Wave filmmaking.
Shorts:
On Time
7:35 de la Manana
Paper memories
Film Excerpts (5 mins typically?) for Reading The Edit
The Insider (Michael Mann) 59 mins in; the sushi scene. Fantastic for looking at (intentionally) crossing the line; proxemics to the line for intimacy; power relations etc
The Darjeeling Ltd the funeral scene(s)
Falling Down(1993) - opening scene: a good example of how the pace of editing can be used to establish heightening anxiety and frustration.
WEBSITES
& OTHER RESOURCES
Filmmaker IQ filmmakeriq.com A collective of former film students, now filmmakers and film buffs who have put together a series of really accessible resources exploring many different aspects of film. They are about to start a free online film school. The lessons are wonderful and easy to use as extensions both within and outside of the classroom. I have made very good use of the Film Noir section with students. (Sharon)
Film Riot Production tips from hyperactive filmmakers - good for low-budget filmmaking. They have a YouTube channel (Rus)
Every Frame a Painting Tony Zhou’s series of analytic video essays - good lesson starters (Rus)
British Film Institute BFI bfi.org.uk Comprehensive website from the British Film Institute. Rich resource complete with teacher support materials. (Sharon)
The Criterion Collection criterion.com Since 1984, the Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, has been dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. (Criterion)
No Film School nofilmschool.com No Film School is the leading worldwide community of filmmakers, video producers, and independent creatives. No Film School is where filmmakers learn from each other — “no film school” required. (NoFilmSchool)
Empire Film Studies 101 empireonline.com/101 Their slogan is, Everything you ever wanted to know about filmmaking but were afraid to ask. Students really like the explanations offered here and were the ones who introduced me to the resource. (Sharon)
Hollywood Camera Work A great repository of instructional videos (predominantly DOP) - from the ground up - built by industry specialists. Not cheap, but email me if you want me to share samples to see if it works for you. (joeholroyd@cdnis.edu.hk)
Best film openings A quick way to introduce students to seminal texts. Students view the top 10 (or however many you have time for) and write a short deconstruction and rank them in their own order of preference.
Art of the Title Website with compilations and interview on what makes a good film title sequence (Rus)
Great BBC website for accessing good quality shorts and good links to filmmaking tips and advice.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/writers-lab/genre-toolkits More great BBC stuff focused on writing. You’ve got videos, advice from professional writers and resources. You can get lots of screenplay templates here, but find Sharon’s simplified 2 pager for a more student-friendly version. (Andy)
LaVideoFilmmaker.com Great site providing film students with techniques, exercises and industry tricks to create great films.
Australian Screen An archival website that contains some great audio/visual resources of Australian film throughout history, starting with the first feature film ‘The Story of the Kelly Gang’ from 1906. Each film clip on the site comes with curator’s notes attached and is catagorised into Australian film movements.
BOOKS (Some of these are being ordered and should arrive by November 1st.)
Basics Film-Making: The Language of Film explores the means by which film communicates meaning to its audience. This book examines how films communicate by considering the stories they tell, the sign systems they deploy, the interpretive contexts the viewer is invited to place them in, and the range of aesthetic elements that contribute to the cinematic image. Each chapter concludes with a case study in which key ideas are seen in context within a particular film, or a specific scene. (excerpt from publisher)
‘Providing a comprehensive introduction to film studies, this book addresses techniques and terminology used in production and criticism. It emphasizes thinking and writing critically and effectively about film. Organized in three parts, the authors focus on the fundamentals of film analysis before moving on to more complex topics. Parts I and II teach students to recognize how the components of film-narrative, mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound-work together to produce meaning within an individual film text. Part III introduces readers to interpretive frameworks that treat cinema as a cultural institution. This section encourages readers to move beyond textual analysis and consider the relationship between film and culture. Readers learn to form sophisticated arguments about film in cultural, historical, and economic contexts.’
‘...a survey of film as an art form. It’s aimed at undergraduate students and general readers who want a comprehensive and systematic introduction to film aesthetics. It considers common types of films, principles of narrative and non-narrative form, basic film techniques, and strategies of writing about films. It also puts film art in the context of changes across history.’ Great for teaching Film Theory and History.
Ed Sikov builds a step-by-step curriculum for the appreciation of all types of narrative cinema, detailing the essential elements of film form and systematically training the spectator to be an active reader and critic. Straightforward explanations of core critical concepts, practical advice, and suggested assignments on particular technical, visual, and aesthetic aspects further anchor the reader's understanding of the formal language and anatomy of film. (excerpt from publisher)
Loaded with hundreds of full-color examples, The Filmmaker's Eye is a focused, easy-to-reference guide that shows you how to become a strong visual storyteller through smart, effective choices for your shots. (excerpt from publisher)
This is the companion book to the documentary series produced by Cousins and provides a supporting literary version of the film history presented.
Talk About Cinema by Jean-Baptiste Thoret (Author), Elisabeth Couturier (Series Editor) If you want to understand and talk about film, Talk About Cinema offers alternative ideas that address numerous time periods and movements, synthesizing all the important information into one fun, didactic, and readable volume. (excerpt from publisher)
In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. (excerpt from publisher)
Secrets of Screen Acting by Patrick Tucker Written by very experienced industry director, the chapter on directing is awesome. Highly practical and accessible; really elucidates how different acting/directing actors for the screen is from other mediums (Patrick has a BBC/RSC background and whole approach is rooted in awareness of these differences)
100 Ideas that Changed Film Paperback – April 18, 2012 by David Parkinson (Author) Publisher: Laurence King Publishing (April 18, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 1856697932 ISBN-13: 978-1856697934
Interesting and accessible- a good staple resource for introducing wider perspectives on global cinema.
Understanding Film Theory My favourite book for film theory - very accessible. (Should be arriving in November)
Traditions in World Cinema (ed. Linda Badley) A short history (around 8 pages) of the key movements in film history
Kindle book: Writing a Great Movie: Keys to Successful Screenwriting by Jeff Kitchen A great resource for developing TTCs on plot and character development -- particularly the use of the Enneagram for developing characters, and the 36 Dramatic Situations for plot prompts. (Patrick)
Studying Indian Cinema traces the historical evolution of Indian cinema through a number of key decades. The book is made up of 14 chapters with each chapter focusing on one key film, the chosen films analysed in their wider social, political and historical context whilst a concerted engagement with various ideological strands that underpin each film is also evident. In addition to exploring the films in their wider contexts, the author analyses selected sequences through the conceptual framework common to both film and media studies.
Master Shots A good book of film techniques with examples from actual films. I use this to give students short film exercises to build their technical proficiency and introduce them to different techniques. I also try my best to find the actual clips referred to in the book so students can see it in action. They then replicate to interpret. (Tony)
MAGAZINES
Sight and Sound bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine Subscription based magazine affiliated with BFI. It is a personal favourite of mine and worth the investment for your school library. Articles are well written and reviews astute. (Sharon)
Senses of Cinema is an online journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema. We believe cinema is an art that can take many forms, from the industrially-produced blockbuster to the hand-crafted experimental work; we also aim to encourage awareness of the histories of such diverse forms. As an Australian-based journal, we have a special commitment to the regular, wide-ranging analysis and critique of Australian cinema, past and present. (Senses)
As more and more students have access to personal devices and some schools are embracing both smaller handheld devices and tablets this is a great app. It essentially puts a high grade camera in the hand of the user at the affordable cost of 8 USD. This year my several students from my IB workshop leader's class chose to experiment with filming on their devices and "you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in filmic quality and image integrity," she said.
Overview How 3d effects (VFX) fit into the production schedule. It’s really wordy but gives you a lot of the basic vocabulary to google later. http://www.andrew-whitehurst.net/pipeline.html
Godzilla VFX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEg7X4LlVQc I would suggest watching this one time, reading all the details about what goes into it, then watching again once you know what all the different layers are, because they flip through the layers really fast.
This video gives good examples of all the layers that go into an action/creature movie: The background is shot with a real camera (film or digital). The 3D model of Godzilla, 3D models of background features like buildings, and other effects are done with transparent layers in software or on footage filmed against a green screen and composited together.
All the models have to be shaded, textured and lit with digital lights that match the actual on camera lighting. The virtual camera in the 3D software also has to match the angles, movement, and focus of the actual camera. Sometimes they add digital motion blur to match a real camera. There is an entire job called match mover which keeps track of the actual camera settings and movement so that it can be duplicated in the software.
IB Film Resources
Contents
IB Film Glossary- these are not all the film terms you should know but these are must knows.Citing Sources
Recommended Short Films
Recommended 5 minute clips for Presentation practice
Websites
Books
Magazines
Video Essays
Apps
Sound
IB Film Glossary
Film students should not only know these words and what they mean but should feel comfortable and confident using them when talking about a film, in their production journals, and on exams.
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Audience
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Camera angle
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Cinematographer
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Continuity editing
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.Diegetic/non-diegetic sound
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Digital
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Dubbing
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Editing
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Form
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Frame
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Genre
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Mise-en-scène
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Montage
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Narrative
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Post-production
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Pre-production
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Primary research
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Production
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Qualitative research
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Quantitative Research
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Realism
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Representation
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Secondary research
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Stereotype
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Style
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Synchronous/ asynchronous sound
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Teaser trailers
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Tone
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All those who receive or interact with any media product. A target audience is the group of people to whom a product is particularly aimed. This may be identified as either “mass” (or mainstream) if it is targeted at a very large number of people, or “niche” if it is targeted at a smaller, more specific group of people.
.
.
The position of the camera in relation to the main subject. It could be a high angle, low angle, worm’s-eye view or aerial view.
The person responsible for camera and lighting. Often referred to as the “director of photography”.
.
.
Sometimes referred to as “invisible” or “academic” editing, this is the unobtrusive style of editing developed by Hollywood that is still the basis of most commercial productions. The basis of continuity editing is to cut on action so that the whole sequence looks natural.
Diegetic sound is that which appears to come from a recognizable source within the narrative world of a film, radio or television text. Non-diegetic sound is that which appears to come from a source unconnected to the narrative world of a text. An example of non- diegetic sound would be a film musical score. Diegetic sound would be the sound of crashing waves on cliffs or birdsong, even though these may be added in post production.
.
.
.
The conversion of sound and visual to transmit information in a code using the numbers zero and one.
.
A process whereby sound is added to film. This may take the form of adding music or additional sound to dialogue, or it may refer to the addition of an entire soundtrack, including dialogue.
The selection of material to make a coherent whole. In film and television an editor uses a variety of methods to move from one sequence to another. This is referred to as a “transition”.
The structure, or skeleton, of a text and the narrative framework around which it is based. For example, a feature film commonly has a three- act structure. Some structures are determined by a genre and its corresponding codes and conventions.
As a noun, this refers to the single area on a strip of film that holds a single image (or a single still image on video). As a verb, it means to adjust the position of the camera or to adjust the camera lens to compose the required image. An image can be framed to construct a close-up shot, long shot or medium shot.
The classification of any media text into a category or type, for example: news, horror, documentary, soap opera and so on. Genres tend to have identifiable codes and conventions that have developed over time and for which audiences may have developed particular expectations. Media texts that are a mixture of more than one genre are called “generic hybrids”.
.
.
Literally, everything that is “put in the scene”, or put in the frame to be photographed (appropriate to the time and era portrayed). This usually includes production design, set, location, actors, costumes, make-up, gesture, proxemics and blocking, extras, props, use of colour, contrast and filter. Lighting is often included within mise-en-scène. Camera shot composition, framing, angle and movement are also sometimes referred to as mise-en-shot.
.
The term is taken from the French “to assemble”. It has several meanings in the context of film and is not exclusively used to refer to “Soviet Montage”. (1) It is used as a synonym for editing. (2) In Hollywood cinema it means to edit a concentrated sequence using a series of brief transitions creating the effect of the passage of time or movement over large distances or for expressionistic moods. (3) Thematic or “Soviet” montage was developed by Sergei Eisenstein by arranging striking juxtapositions of individual shots to suggest an idea that goes beyond meanings within an individual shot. He called this “collision montage”. (4) Any sequence that creates a particularly significant effect mainly through its editing. The shower scene in Psycho would be such an example.
.
.
The way in which a plot or story is told, by whom and in what order. Flashbacks, flash forwards and ellipsis may be used as narrative devices. Tsvetan Todorov, Bordwell and Thompson and Robert McKee have all presented interesting ideas about narrative development.
The period and the processes that come between the completion of principal photography and the completed film or programme. This includes the editing of a film or programme, along with titles, graphics, special effects and so on.
The entire range of preparations that takes place before a film or television programme can begin shooting.
.
.Research information or data that you collect yourself. Sources for this may include interviews, questionnaires, analysis of films or television programmes that you undertake yourself. (See also secondary research.)
.
Either the product itself or the actual process of filming.
.
.
Research undertaken through observation, analysing texts and documents, interviews, open-ended questionnaires and case studies. It is reasoned argument that is not based upon simple statistical information. Overall, qualitative research enables researchers to study psychological, cultural and social phenomena. (See also quantitative research.)
Primarily, this is statistical data most frequently obtained from closed questions in questionnaires or structured interviews. Quantitative research may calculate how many males in the 15 to 25 years age range watch a particular television soap opera, for example, but qualitative research is necessary to determine why they watch it.
The dominant mode of representation in television, mainstream films and print. The term usually implies that the media text attempts to represent an external reality: a film or television programme is “realistic” because it gives the impression that it accurately reproduces that part of the real world to which it is referring. However, the concept is much more complex than this brief definition. One suggestion is to think of “realisms” rather than realism.
The process of making meaning in still or moving images and in words and sounds. In its simplest form, it means to present or show someone or something. However, as a concept for debate, it is used to describe the process by which an image can be used to represent or stand in for someone or something, for example, a person, place or idea. Inherent in this second definition is the notion that there may be a responsibility on the part of the producer of any representation, with regard to accuracy, “truth” and the viewpoints and opinions that such a representation may perpetuate. Representation is used to describe the manner in which segments or individuals in society (for example, women, the elderly, ethnic minorities) are portrayed in the media.
.
.
.
.
Research information taken from sources other than your own work, such as academic studies, reviews or essays, whether in printed format or from other film texts such as documentaries or interviews.
.
.
An oversimplified representation of people, places or issues, giving a narrow and/or exaggerated set of attributes. Stereotypes are frequently thought to be entirely negative but this is not necessarily the case.
.
.
The “look” of a media text; its surface appearance. It can be recognized by the use of colour, mise-en-scène, lighting, music, camera angle, movement, framing, dialogue, editing and so on.
.
.
Synchronous sound is where the sound matches the action or speech in film or television. Asynchronous sound is when there is a mismatch— the most obvious example occurs when lip-synch is out, that is, when the words spoken and the lip movement of the actor on screen do not match.
.
.
.
Short film or television trailers shown before a full-length trailer.
.
.
The overall impression that is given by a media text—serious, comic, romantic, sensationalist and so on.
How To Use and Cite a Source in Your Papers
Analysis of "Taxi Driver"
by
Ryan Louderback
Taxi Driver is about a man in a big city who just can't seem to connect with anyone. Roger Ebert describes it this way, "The film can be seen as a series of his failed attempts to connect, every one of them hopelessly wrong. He asks a girl out on a date, and takes her to a porno movie. He sucks up to a political candidate, and ends by alarming him. He tries to make small talk with a Secret Service agent. He wants to befriend a child prostitute, but scares her away. He is so lonely that when he asks, "Who you talkin' to?" he is addressing himself in a mirror." (Ebert, Roger. Great Movie Taxi Driver)
(On the last page)
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. Great Movie Taxi Driver. www.rogerebert.com. January 1st, 2004.
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-taxi-driver-1976
RECOMMENDED SHORTS
L’Accordeur (The Piano Tuner) Olivier Triener (2010)
Je t’aime John Wayne (MacDonald, 2000) - a paradoy of French New Wave about a man who wants to be Jean-Paul Belmondo. It is a great way of teaching intertextual referencing and the stylistic features and codes and conventions of French New Wave filmmaking.
Shorts:
On Time
7:35 de la Manana
Paper memories
Film Excerpts (5 mins typically?) for Reading The Edit
The Insider (Michael Mann) 59 mins in; the sushi scene.
Fantastic for looking at (intentionally) crossing the line; proxemics to the line for intimacy; power relations etc
The Darjeeling Ltd the funeral scene(s)
Falling Down(1993) - opening scene: a good example of how the pace of editing can be used to establish heightening anxiety and frustration.
WEBSITES
& OTHER RESOURCES
Filmmaker IQ
filmmakeriq.com
A collective of former film students, now filmmakers and film buffs who have put together a series of really accessible resources exploring many different aspects of film. They are about to start a free online film school. The lessons are wonderful and easy to use as extensions both within and outside of the classroom. I have made very good use of the Film Noir section with students. (Sharon)
Film Riot
Production tips from hyperactive filmmakers - good for low-budget filmmaking. They have a YouTube channel (Rus)
Every Frame a Painting
Tony Zhou’s series of analytic video essays - good lesson starters (Rus)
http://shitpeoplesaytowomendirectors.tumblr.com/
Tumblr of things people have said to female film directors - illustrates sexism of the film industry (Rus)
British Film Institute BFI
bfi.org.uk
Comprehensive website from the British Film Institute. Rich resource complete with teacher support materials. (Sharon)
The Criterion Collection
criterion.com
Since 1984, the Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, has been dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. (Criterion)
No Film School
nofilmschool.com
No Film School is the leading worldwide community of filmmakers, video producers, and independent creatives. No Film School is where filmmakers learn from each other — “no film school” required. (NoFilmSchool)
Empire Film Studies 101
empireonline.com/101
Their slogan is, Everything you ever wanted to know about filmmaking but were afraid to ask. Students really like the explanations offered here and were the ones who introduced me to the resource. (Sharon)
Hollywood Camera Work
A great repository of instructional videos (predominantly DOP) - from the ground up - built by industry specialists. Not cheap, but email me if you want me to share samples to see if it works for you. (joeholroyd@cdnis.edu.hk)
Lesson Bucket
Some good film basics
129 Greatest Shots
You could use these for Discuss the Image (Rus)
Best film openings
A quick way to introduce students to seminal texts. Students view the top 10 (or however many you have time for) and write a short deconstruction and rank them in their own order of preference.
Art of the Title
Website with compilations and interview on what makes a good film title sequence (Rus)
Transformers the Premake
A desktop video essay discussing the marketing and making of the Michael Bay-directed film turd. Some interesting point made. (Rus)
http://www.thefilmnetwork.co.uk/
Great BBC website for accessing good quality shorts and good links to filmmaking tips and advice.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/writers-lab/genre-toolkits
More great BBC stuff focused on writing. You’ve got videos, advice from professional writers and resources. You can get lots of screenplay templates here, but find Sharon’s simplified 2 pager for a more student-friendly version. (Andy)
Movie Review Database
Reviews from the past and present compiled here (Rus)
Routledge Film Theory
Film Theory text book with excellent video essays
Guardian clip joint
http://www.theguardian.com/film/series/clipjoint
AudioVisualcy
Great visual essays to help with the IS.
IB teacher and Examiner wiki with great resources
LaVideoFilmmaker.com
Great site providing film students with techniques, exercises and industry tricks to create great films.
Australian Screen
An archival website that contains some great audio/visual resources of Australian film throughout history, starting with the first feature film ‘The Story of the Kelly Gang’ from 1906. Each film clip on the site comes with curator’s notes attached and is catagorised into Australian film movements.
BOOKS (Some of these are being ordered and should arrive by November 1st.)
Basics Film-Making 04: The Language of Film
by Robert Edgar-Hunt, John Marland, Steven Rawle
Basics Film-Making: The Language of Film explores the means by which film communicates meaning to its audience. This book examines how films communicate by considering the stories they tell, the sign systems they deploy, the interpretive contexts the viewer is invited to place them in, and the range of aesthetic elements that contribute to the cinematic image. Each chapter concludes with a case study in which key ideas are seen in context within a particular film, or a specific scene. (excerpt from publisher)
Film: A Critical Introduction (3rd Ed)
by Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis
‘Providing a comprehensive introduction to film studies, this book addresses techniques and terminology used in production and criticism. It emphasizes thinking and writing critically and effectively about film. Organized in three parts, the authors focus on the fundamentals of film analysis before moving on to more complex topics. Parts I and II teach students to recognize how the components of film-narrative, mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound-work together to produce meaning within an individual film text. Part III introduces readers to interpretive frameworks that treat cinema as a cultural institution. This section encourages readers to move beyond textual analysis and consider the relationship between film and culture. Readers learn to form sophisticated arguments about film in cultural, historical, and economic contexts.’
Film Art: An Introduction
by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson
‘...a survey of film as an art form. It’s aimed at undergraduate students and general readers who want a comprehensive and systematic introduction to film aesthetics. It considers common types of films, principles of narrative and non-narrative form, basic film techniques, and strategies of writing about films. It also puts film art in the context of changes across history.’ Great for teaching Film Theory and History.
Film Studies: An Introduction
by Ed Sikov
Ed Sikov builds a step-by-step curriculum for the appreciation of all types of narrative cinema, detailing the essential elements of film form and systematically training the spectator to be an active reader and critic. Straightforward explanations of core critical concepts, practical advice, and suggested assignments on particular technical, visual, and aesthetic aspects further anchor the reader's understanding of the formal language and anatomy of film. (excerpt from publisher)
The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition
by Gustavo Mercado
Loaded with hundreds of full-color examples, The Filmmaker's Eye is a focused, easy-to-reference guide that shows you how to become a strong visual storyteller through smart, effective choices for your shots. (excerpt from publisher)
The Story of Film
by Mark Cousins
This is the companion book to the documentary series produced by Cousins and provides a supporting literary version of the film history presented.
Talk About Cinema
by Jean-Baptiste Thoret (Author), Elisabeth Couturier (Series Editor)
If you want to understand and talk about film, Talk About Cinema offers alternative ideas that address numerous time periods and movements, synthesizing all the important information into one fun, didactic, and readable volume. (excerpt from publisher)
In the Blink of an Eye
by Walter Murch
In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. (excerpt from publisher)
Secrets of Screen Acting
by Patrick Tucker
Written by very experienced industry director, the chapter on directing is awesome. Highly practical and accessible; really elucidates how different acting/directing actors for the screen is from other mediums (Patrick has a BBC/RSC background and whole approach is rooted in awareness of these differences)
100 Ideas that Changed Film Paperback – April 18, 2012
by David Parkinson (Author)
Publisher: Laurence King Publishing (April 18, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1856697932
ISBN-13: 978-1856697934
Ideas about topics for Independent Study.
- The Global Film Book (Roy Stafford)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Global-Film-Book-Stafford/dp/0415688973/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1440206640&sr=8-1Interesting and accessible- a good staple resource for introducing wider perspectives on global cinema.
Understanding Film Theory
My favourite book for film theory - very accessible. (Should be arriving in November)
Traditions in World Cinema (ed. Linda Badley)
A short history (around 8 pages) of the key movements in film history
Kindle book: Writing a Great Movie: Keys to Successful Screenwriting by Jeff Kitchen
A great resource for developing TTCs on plot and character development -- particularly the use of the Enneagram for developing characters, and the 36 Dramatic Situations for plot prompts. (Patrick)
VIDEO ESSAYS
What makes a good video essay?
https://www.fandor.com/keyframe/the-best-video-essays-of-2014
http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/intransition/
Dreams in cinema: Inception
Mentioned by a senior IB teacher as a perfect example for the Independent Study style
- Studying Indian Cinema (Omar Ahmed)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Studying-Indian-Cinema-Omar-Ahmed/dp/1906733678/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440206785&sr=8-1&keywords=studying+indian+cinemaStudying Indian Cinema traces the historical evolution of Indian cinema through a number of key decades. The book is made up of 14 chapters with each chapter focusing on one key film, the chosen films analysed in their wider social, political and historical context whilst a concerted engagement with various ideological strands that underpin each film is also evident. In addition to exploring the films in their wider contexts, the author analyses selected sequences through the conceptual framework common to both film and media studies.
Guardian clip joint
http://www.theguardian.com/film/series/clipjoint
Introduction of Documentary - Bill Nichols
Master Shots
A good book of film techniques with examples from actual films. I use this to give students short film exercises to build their technical proficiency and introduce them to different techniques. I also try my best to find the actual clips referred to in the book so students can see it in action. They then replicate to interpret. (Tony)
MAGAZINES
Sight and Sound
bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine
Subscription based magazine affiliated with BFI. It is a personal favourite of mine and worth the investment for your school library. Articles are well written and reviews astute. (Sharon)
Senses of Cinema
sensesofcinema.com
Senses of Cinema is an online journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema. We believe cinema is an art that can take many forms, from the industrially-produced blockbuster to the hand-crafted experimental work; we also aim to encourage awareness of the histories of such diverse forms. As an Australian-based journal, we have a special commitment to the regular, wide-ranging analysis and critique of Australian cinema, past and present. (Senses)
APPS
FilmicPro
filmicpro.com/apps/filmic-pro/
As more and more students have access to personal devices and some schools are embracing both smaller handheld devices and tablets this is a great app. It essentially puts a high grade camera in the hand of the user at the affordable cost of 8 USD.
This year my several students from my IB workshop leader's class chose to experiment with filming on their devices and "you would be hard pressed to tell the difference in filmic quality and image integrity," she said.
https://www.celtx.com/index.html
Free storyboard app
Miscellaneous sites for use in different class units for me:
Sound in film
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/22/rain-is-sizzling-bacon-cars-lions-roaring-art-of-sound-in-movies
Jaws scene by scene analysis
http://oneperfectshotdb.com/news/watch-deep-dive-a-shot-by-shot-analysis-of-jaws/
IB DP Film Unit Visual Effects
Overview
How 3d effects (VFX) fit into the production schedule. It’s really wordy but gives you a lot of the basic vocabulary to google later.
http://www.andrew-whitehurst.net/pipeline.html
Godzilla VFX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEg7X4LlVQc
I would suggest watching this one time, reading all the details about what goes into it, then watching again once you know what all the different layers are, because they flip through the layers really fast.
This video gives good examples of all the layers that go into an action/creature movie:
The background is shot with a real camera (film or digital). The 3D model of Godzilla, 3D models of background features like buildings, and other effects are done with transparent layers in software or on footage filmed against a green screen and composited together.
All the models have to be shaded, textured and lit with digital lights that match the actual on camera lighting. The virtual camera in the 3D software also has to match the angles, movement, and focus of the actual camera. Sometimes they add digital motion blur to match a real camera. There is an entire job called match mover which keeps track of the actual camera settings and movement so that it can be duplicated in the software.
Match Moving: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_moving
Back in the day, they did rotoscoping instead of matchmoving.
Rotoscoping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotoscoping